The Relationship Between Counseling Supervisee Attachment Orientation and Perceived Bond with Supervisor

Attachment theory within clinical supervision: application of the conceptual to the empirical

“…Those with preoccupied attachment endorsed lower avoidance in their supervision relationship than those who were secure. Given the high anxiety, low avoidance dynamic of preoccupied styles, several authors hypothesized that those with preoccupied styles would approach supervisors more often, perhaps even being seen as clingy or needy (Neswald-McCalip, 2001;Renfro-Michel & Sheperis, 2009). Those with secure styles should theoretically be more avoidant of their supervisors than preoccupied styles, maintaining the boundary of the supervisory relationship (Bennett & Saks, 2006;Riggs & Bretz, 2006).…”

“…In a study of attachment, working alliance, and trainee training level, Renfro-Michel & Sheperis (2009) found that styles with positive views of self (secure and dismissing) rated working alliance with their supervisors higher than those with negative views of self. Trainee rated working alliance styles from highest to lowest according to mean were secure, dismissing, fearful, and preoccupied.…”

“…Finally, a fearful style mixes desire for intimacy with distance, seeking feedback but afraid of receiving it (Pistole & Watkins, 1995). An unpublished dissertation from 2003 cited by several studies (Bennett, 2008b;Deal et al, 2011;Bennett, Mohr, Deal, & Hwang, 2011;Renfro-Michel & Sheperis, 2009) found a negative association between fearful trainees, overall professional development, and investment in counseling and supervision.…”

“…year in program, number of total practicum hours) did not affect attachment orientation or working alliance (Renfro-Michel & Sheperis, 2009;White & Queener, 2003). The findings in this study used total hours with supervisor and whether or not the trainee had been assigned to the supervisor previously as proxies to prevent bias; both variables were not associated with any of the outcomes.…”

“…Alternatively, a preoccupied style (negative view of self, positive view of others) is fixated on others' perceptions, and thereby this trainee be uncomfortable with the feedback process and seek constant reassurance of his or her worthiness (Renfro-Michel & Sheperis, 2009). Finally, a fearful style mixes desire for intimacy with distance, seeking feedback but afraid of receiving it (Pistole & Watkins, 1995).…”